Maginot Line
The Maginot Line is a defensive perimeter that surrounds the ecumene's core worlds within the Orion Complex. It consisted of numerous Line Installations, defensive outposts which utilize a variety of measures to prevent enemy ships from entering the line. Millions of these fortifications formed a sphere along hundreds of outlying systems of the Orion complex, intended to cover every possible entry trajectory within both normal space and the higher dimensions of Slipstream Space. Trillions of maintenance Sentinels were stationed throughout the line, thousands of combat Sentinels provided support to the Line Installations. In case enemies targeted the Line Installations on foot, Armigers were prepared to defend the installations and were given a variety of tools to do that. Defense Network The Maginot Line consisted of over a million Line Installations with the firepower to annihilate starships trespassing through real or Slipstream space. These installations were protected with an almost impregnable shield generator, and the best bet to shutdown the shielding was to gain entrance into the nearby support base and eliminate the power core. In order to do this, strike teams will have to be deployed to the surface and this is difficult to accomplish with the Line Installations targeting unverified starships from a distance of one light year. The Line Installations aren't the only threat to deal with since the Wyverns, massive combat constructs, are defending the Line and providing new unpredictable tactics. Invading ground forces will have a difficult time shutting down the installations, since armies of Armigers are stationed through the installation and it's neighboring support base. The Armigers are equipped with hardlight rifles, and use a variety of equipment that can generate a hardlight shield for personal defense, deployment of miniature automated turrets, or use active camouflage. Phaetons are exoatmospheric fighters that defend the skies above the installations. Furthermore, particle cannons are stationed across key locations where the battlefield might be hot, and are designed to target either infantry or aerial vehicles. History In the last decades of the Forerunner-Flood War, the ravenous parasite known as the Flood had infested and consumed trillions of planets within the Galaxy. When it seemed all was almost lost, the Forerunner leadership made the cowardice decision to abandoned everything outside the protection of the Maginot Line. Their intent was to hold up in their corner of the galaxy with the trigger on anything that comes near. The Lifeworkers ventured out into the depths of space to continue the indexing of all life outside the Line. The Librarian travelled to Earth in a final attempt to save the last of their populations and send them to Installation 00. Battle of the Maginot Line The point where Mendicant Bias and its fleet breached the Maginot Sphere was predicted by Offensive Bias beforehand, allowing the latter to more efficiently prepare for and counter the incursion. Two hours after the Flood fleet appeared Mendicant Bias made the first move, devoting over a quarter of his vessels — over 1.7 million small and lightweight leisure craft — to storm the Forerunner fleets, not to attack them with weapons, but rather, to overwhelm them, providing too many targets for too few weapons, and boarding Forerunner ships to infect and capture them. Remarkably, the Forerunner vessels were able to evade boarding for three and a half hours. It was only after this period that larger commercial vessels and smaller military craft were launched by the Flood, and the first Forerunner ship was boarded, although it suicidally rammed an incoming Flood ship, releasing over thirty thousand Flood warriors, killing them as the Forerunner crew perished. For four hours, the Flood attack waves intensified, culminating in a final wave of container and transport vessels and warships, most far heavier than a dreadnought. Despite the fact that Offensive Bias could have easily countered the earlier moves, it chose to let its ships act as bait, a seemingly incompetent decision; it was intentionally fighting "just well enough to seem lucky", playing into Mendicant's contempt for the Forerunners and Offensive Bias alike. Regardless, it was becoming clear that Offensive would soon run out of options, regardless of its opponent's ability. The Didact activated the Array instantaneously killing all Forerunners and Flood in the area, leaving behind lifeless vessels and a galaxy devoid of life. Offensive Bias could now accelerate the vessels under its control well beyond velocities safe for biological beings, or open uncontrolled slipspace ruptures across the battlefield, distorting the very fabric of reality around them. Captured Forerunner vessels began to self-destruct or opened uncontrolled slipspace rifts that damaged many former Flood vessels. The sheer number of drifting derelict ships began to hinder Mendicant's core fleet — they began to collide into the ruptured fuel cells of the drifting vessels, destroying fifty-two of Mendicant's warships in only a few seconds when it attempted to use them as cover. Aftermath The Maginot Line suffered seventy-seven percent loss of operational line installations. The remaining installations were shutdown except for those few which would serve a greater purpose following the reseeding of life. Line Installation 1-4 is one such installation that remains active to research the Flood threat. The Wyverns were stored in dormant facilities, and the Armigers shutdown until further orders can be issued. Offensive Bias defeated Mendicant Bias and fragmented the ancilla's personality construct array to prevent him from retaliation. The Didact placed Mendicant Bias on trial for its betrayal and subsequently sentenced the ancilla to indefinite stasis with penitence on his mind. Reactivation Category:Forerunner Technologies Category:Maginot Line